1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is for a baler, and more particularly, pertains to a baler for expanded or foamed polystyrene. A first alternative embodiment of the present invention includes a polystyrene baler which compacts a bale to 26".times.30".times.50" to cost effectively produce a bale of the appropriate density to fill up a trailer of a tractor-trailer to maximum weight for transportation on a cost-effective basis to recycling centers.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Prior art balers have not been practical for baling polystyrene, or polyfoam because the ram did not have sufficient penetration through the baling chamber, and therefore, could not compress the material sufficiently. Therefore, high-volume and low-mass materials generally were very difficult to bale because of the lack of suitable ram penetration in the baling chamber. Bales made with prior art balers were unstable and tended to come apart even with careful handling.
Expanded polystyrene is a material of particular concern to environmentalists, as the material is of high volume and low mass, and is taking up considerable space in landfills. Polystyrene is used to package a wide assortment of products, such as washers, dryers, refrigerators, other household appliances, TVs, audiovisual equipment, model trains, and just about any other type of product which is shipped in a box. The packaging can range from small blocks measured in inches, to large shapes measured in feet. Polystyrene also comes in what is referred to as peanuts, spaghetti or denoted with other cute names, and is used as packing material to protect goods in boxes against damage in transit.
The wide diversity of sizes and shapes of polystyrene complicates the baling problem. Of course, it would be possible to sort polystyrene waste according to size and density, but this adds expense and complicates the salvage process.
The subsequent disposal of polystyrene is of very serious concern to the environmentalists, who in the past have had no real recourse but to see this type of packing material buried in landfills, wasting landfill space, which is now considered a precious, non-renewable natural resource.
One particular concern of baling polystyrene was to achieve a bale weight of a density so that a trailer of a tractor-trailer, also referred to as a semi, reached maximum trailer weight, while filling the trailer at the same time for the most economical cost of transportation. Prior art problems with baling recyclable materials is that the trailer would be full, but yet a maximum weight would not be reached for the trailer, which made the cost of transportation not only inefficient, but more importantly uneconomical. Polystyrene had not been able to be recycled, and since it only recently has been possible to recycle polystyrene, there has now been a need created to effectively bale polystyrene on a cost-efficient basis so that the economies were appropriate for transportation of baled polystyrene. Achieving the appropriate bale density for cost-efficient transportation was not only important, but is being demanded by the recycling industry, as well as the transportation industry.
The present invention overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art by providing a baling system for polystyrene packing material, where the bales of the polystyrene can then be recycled which saves, protects and preserves the environment.